March 08, 2018
January 2019

Introducing the Nurses’ Health Program

Ontario’s 175,000 nurses have a new voluntary program that focuses on early identification and referral for treatment of mental health and/or substance use disorders.

The Nurses’ Health Program (NHP) recognizes these disorders as illnesses and takes a non-punitive approach that reduces stigma and focuses on recovery. It embraces the philosophy that nurses experiencing these disorders should have an opportunity for education, treatment and recovery. It recognizes their unique needs as health care professionals and the importance of protecting the public.

NHP offers a proven approach, and is modelled on similar programs used by other regulated health professions. The new bilingual program offers nurses access to resources, a dedicated case manager, comprehensive assessment, an individualized support and treatment plan, and monitoring...

Ontario’s 175,000 nurses have a new voluntary program that focuses on early identification and referral for treatment of mental health and/or substance use disorders.

The Nurses’ Health Program (NHP) recognizes these disorders as illnesses and takes a non-punitive approach that reduces stigma and focuses on recovery. It embraces the philosophy that nurses experiencing these disorders should have an opportunity for education, treatment and recovery. It recognizes their unique needs as health care professionals and the importance of protecting the public.

NHP offers a proven approach, and is modelled on similar programs used by other regulated health professions. The new bilingual program offers nurses access to resources, a dedicated case manager, comprehensive assessment, an individualized support and treatment plan, and monitoring.

“There is significant research showing that voluntary and confidential professional health programs are highly effective both in supporting recovery and protecting the public,” says Anne Coghlan, CNO’s Executive Director and CEO.

NHP was developed by the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO), Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA), Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO), and Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario (RPNAO). It is an incorporated not-for-profit organization overseen by a board of directors with equal representation from the four nursing organizations and administered by Lifemark Health Group.

You can find out more about the program at nurseshealth.ca.

About CNO

The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) is the regulator of the nursing profession in Ontario. It is not a school or a nursing association. CNO acts in the public interest by:

  • assessing qualifications and registering individuals who want to practice nursing in Ontario.
  • setting the practice standards of the profession that nurses in Ontario are expected to meet.
  • promoting nurses' continuing competence through a quality assurance program.
  • holding nurses accountable to those standards by addressing complaints or reports about nursing care.

The College was founded in 1963. By establishing the College, the Ontario government was acknowledging that the nursing profession had the ability to govern itself and put the public's well-being ahead of professional interests.

For the latest information, please see our Nursing Statistics page.

Anyone who wants to use a nursing-related title — Registered Nurse (RN), Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) or Nurse Practitioner (NP) must become a member of CNO.

Frequently Asked Questions

Go to the public Register, Find a Nurse, to conduct a search for the nurse. Contact us if you can't find the person you are looking for.

All public information available about nurses is posted in the public Register, Find a Nurse, which contains profiles of every nurse in Ontario. Publicly available information about nurses include their registration history, business address, and information related to pending disciplinary hearings or past findings.

Unregistered practitioners are people who are seeking employment in nursing or holding themselves out as being able to practice nursing in Ontario, but who are not qualified to do so. They are not registered members of CNO. Only people registered with CNO can use nursing-related titles or perform certain procedures that could cause harm if carried out by a non-registered health professional. CNO takes the issue of unregistered practitioners seriously. See Unregistered Practitioners for more information.

To ensure procedural fairness for both the patient (or client) and the nurse, the Regulated Health Professions Act requires that information gathered during an investigation remain confidential until the matter is referred to the Discipline Committee or Fitness to Practise Committee. CNO will not disclose any information that could identify patients (or clients) or compromise an investigation. See Investigations: A Process Guide for more information.

Information obtained during an investigation will become public if the matter is referred to a disciplinary hearing. If a complaint is not referred to a hearing, no information will be available publicly.

See CNO's hearings schedule, which is updated as hearing dates are confirmed. Hearings at CNO are open to the public and the media. For details on how to attend a hearing, contact the Hearings Administration Team.

A summary of allegations and the disciplinary panel outcomes can be found on the public Register, Find a Nurse. Full decisions and reasons are also available.

Where a disciplinary panel makes a finding of professional misconduct, they have the authority to reprimand a nurse, and suspend or revoke a nurse's registration. Terms, conditions and limitations can also be imposed on a nurse's registration, which restricts their practice for a set period. Nurses can also be required to complete remedial activities, such as reviewing CNO documents and meeting with an expert, before returning to practice.

For detailed information see the Sexual Abuse Prevention section.

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